Choosing Flooring and Other Design Elements Using Product Samples

Dear Rob:

I’m in the planning stages of a complete home remodel, and I’m feeling hopelessly overwhelmed.  I need to pick flooring finishes, paint colors, tile . . . everything.  As I move from store to store, and back to my home, I’m having a terrible time matching materials and deciding how they will “go together” from a design standpoint.  Please help!

-Janet in Kentucky

Dear Janet:

Flooring samples can help make the selection process for flooring much easier. Since flooring is such a major purchase in the home most products are available where you can take the samples with you in order to look at them with other selections. It is important to look at the samples in the light where they will be installed as well as with other selections such as paint, cabinetry and furniture.

However, the samples are just that – samples. They are not the exact final product that you will receive. They are made at a different time under different conditions and may not be exactly the same color as what you saw in the retail store.  You can expect them to be very close, but not exact.

When looking at samples in your home, ask for the largest size sample you can get. When shopping for hardwood and tile, ask for samples with multiple pieces or multiple loose pieces. This will give you an idea if you can expect the product to have a range of color. This will also help you imagine what more of the product will look like.

Once you get the samples and bring them home, set them on the floor in the area they will be installed. Place the samples in different parts of the room and look at them at different times of the day (to view them in different light). When looking at the samples, back away from them a few feet and look at the samples standing up. People often have a tendency to examine samples for color several inches from the sample. This is not how you look at the floor everyday!

It is also a good idea to designate a bag for samples if you are working on a project with multiple finishes. That way, you will always have all of the elements of the room together when you are shopping for more pieces of the project. Your mind can never quite remember the exact shade of something and you don’t want to make a mistake buying something that you cannot use or worse, something you cannot return.

Another tool that can help you envision what your floor will look like once installed is the Virtual Room Designer, which lets you choose different types of flooring and view it in different room applications.  You can click here to take a look.

Remember if you check out a sample from a retail store to return the sample when you have finished. There is nothing more frustrating than wanting to see or check out a sample and not being able to because someone hasn’t returned it when they were finished. Some retailers will order samples for you to keep. When you finish with carpet samples, you can reuse them or return them to the store. Some uses for old carpet samples are mats for the trunk of your car, great seats for little ones in school or comfortable places for pets to rest.

-Rob

Strategies for Choosing Grout Colors

Dear Rob:

I just moved into a new house, and I’m really not happy with the grout used in the kitchen and bathrooms.  I’m not really confident that I can pick something better though.  Can you give me some pointers?

-Jeff in Utah

Dear Jeff:

This may not seem like an important decision worthy of spending any time on, but the color of your grout can change the look of the whole floor or wall. The whole process of choosing tile can be overwhelming. When it gets to the last little detail of choosing a grout color, it is tempting to just say – whatever. Hang in there and use this advice to get you through.

When you look at the grout chart, don’t worry that there are so many choices. Gather one or a few samples of your tile and place them on a neutral background. Then, choose 3-5 grout samples and space them around or in between the tiles. The goal is to choose the color that best matches or blends with the tile. Don’t worry if it doesn’t match exactly, the goal is for the color to coordinate and blend.

Next, step away from the samples and look at the pieces from several feet away. Let’s face it; rarely will your face be 6″-12″ from the floor. You will spend your time looking at the floor as a whole while standing up!

Look for the grout sample that disappears the most. You paid for the tile, not the grout. The tile is what you want to see when the floor is complete. Choosing a grout color that is contrasting will draw your eye to that difference and you will see the lines that separate each tile rather than one complete finished floor.

It is tempting to try to make grout more of a design element than it is. If you have a neutral tile and have second thoughts about it being too boring while convincing yourself that the grout color can pull everything in your design scheme together – WAIT! It rarely makes sense to use a colored grout on a neutral tile. Often, it is hard enough using a colored grout on a colored tile! Unless you are going for a checkerboard look or the lines around the tile to be a focal point, let the grout be grout and choose a neutral color.

If there is an edge color around the tile that is different from the center of the tile you have a choice to make. If you choose a grout color that best coordinates with the edge color, then the edging will be more pronounced. If you choose a grout color that coordinates with the color on the center of the tile, that edging will be minimized. There is no right or wrong answer here, just personal preference.

If you have a tile with multiple or mixed colors, follow the same steps. Place a few samples around and in between several tiles and step back to view them. Again, you are looking for the most neutral color that disappears. Start eliminating choices and your decision will become clear.

One exception worth mentioning is Saltillo tile or Mexican tile. This orangy terracotta tile typically does not follow the rules. Most installations of Saltillo tile have a neutral gray grout or black in some commercial applications.

Another consideration is maintenance. When choosing a neutral grout color there are often a few shades that will work well. In this case, keep maintenance in mind. Darker grout colors will hide dirt better than white or light colors. If maintenance is a concern, you can always seal the grout for added protection.

If you make a decision that you are unhappy with or buy a home where someone else made a poor decision, you have the option to stain the grout rather than removing the grout and starting over. Removing the grout runs the risk of chipping the tile.

Ask your retailer or designer for help if you are unsure what to choose. They have made these decisions many times and can take the stress out of the decision for you.

-Rob

Tile Layout Pattern Ideas To Give Your Room Style

Dear Rob:

I’m in the process of redesigning my kitchen, and I’m struggling a little bit with picking tile.  I really want my kitchen to be special and unique, but I’m drawing a blank as far as what to do with all the fun sizes and types of tile I’ve seen at the store.

Can you help me out with some layout ideas?

-Kim in Texas

Dear Kim:

One of the greatest things about tile is the ability to install it in so many different layouts, creating an almost endless number of possible looks. You can really let your creativity explode with all of the different sizes and styles of tile and accessories on the market today.  Below are some popular tile layouts. Remember that tile setting professionals in different areas may have different names for these layouts.

Basic

• Straight lay – any size laid square
• Diagonal – any size laid on a 45 degree angle
• Running bond – any size laid with the joints staggered in a brick pattern
• Checkerboard – any size tile with alternating colors

Intermediate

• Diagonal with dots – larger size tiles with smaller tiles placed in the joint intersections
• Area rug border or picture frame – in the center of an area, border tiles are used to outline the area to look like the border of an area rug or picture frame with a different tile in the center
• Diagonal running bond – any size laid with the joints staggered in a brick pattern and laid on the diagonal
• Modular – different size tiles are laid in a modular pattern such as using 4×4, 12×12 and 4×12

Complex

• Area rug border with inset – in the center of an area, border tiles are used to outline the area to look like the border of an area rug. The border tiles are laid straight while the center of the area is a pattern such as turned on the diagonal, diagonal with dots, or diagonal running bond.
• Herringbone – elongated shaped tiles installed in a herringbone pattern (example 3×6 or 6×12)
• Basket weave – elongated shaped tiles installed in a basketweave pattern (example 3×6 or 6×12)
• Pinwheel – tiles in corresponding sizes such as 12×12 and 4×4 where the smaller tile is laid straight in each of the 4 corners of the larger tile

Designs with Mosaics

• Used alone with no other size tiles on a wall or floor
• The center of an area with a border
• Used as the smaller tile in a basketweave pattern
• Used as the smaller tile in a pinwheel pattern
• Used as the dot in a diagonal with dots pattern
• Used as the smaller tile in a modular pattern
• Used as a feature strip in a tub or shower (one row installed about eye level)
• Used as the border in an area rug or picture frame installation
• Part of a border tile or listello

Important Notes

The more complicated the layout or pattern is, the more expensive a professional installation will be. This is due to the time it takes to layout a complicated pattern.  More cuts are usually involved and the whole job is more labor intensive.

Be sure to consult with your designer or tile installation professional about a pattern before purchasing the tile. Not all patterns will work in all spaces. Some spaces are too small or too irregularly shaped for some patterns.

Also, remember that not all tiles come in every size.  Be sure to check with your retailer about the available sizes before getting your heart set on a particular pattern. If you know you want a pattern before you begin shopping for tile, be sure and let your sales consultant know before you begin the selection process.

-Rob